


Into the Darkness

by bleedinglight



Series: VanVen Week 2019 [4]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-18 07:36:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21940564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleedinglight/pseuds/bleedinglight
Summary: The darkness came out of nowhere. They knew that they were both running out of time.VanVen Day 4: Together | Phobia | Breath
Relationships: Vanitas/Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: VanVen Week 2019 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1577038
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	Into the Darkness

They both felt it at the same time.

That terrible, burning _pain_ as Sora began to lose himself into the darkness.

They had let Roxas and Xion go to meet the boy who protected their hearts, hoping that they would be able to draw him away from the nightmares threatening to take him. Ventus couldn’t leave the safety of his heart even if he wanted to and Vanitas would simply bring Sora into further shock after that one stunt he pulled. Being the ones who had been in his heart the longest, they had to be the ones to ensure his heart doesn’t become lost in the darkness. It was already a failure on their part for letting Xehanort sink his nasty claws into him in the beginning.

Tendrils of darkness curled on the surface of the ocean and Ventus was strongly reminded of the time when this happened the first time. He barely mustered up enough energy to be able to safely send Sora to Traverse Town back then.

He looked over when he heard the crunch of sand, seeing Vanitas walking up to him.

“Looks like it’s time,” Vanitas said, his voice slightly hoarse.

It was gradually getting harder to breathe, Ventus realized. The warmth that usually surrounded the islands were being replaced with a chill that creeped into his bones. The two of them had sent Roxas and Xion to hide in the treehouse to wait out the storm. Around them, frost began to form even on the shore. Above, dark storm clouds had begun to gather and Ventus can hear the distinct rumble of thunder in the distance. He knew that it was time for them, but at the same time, he didn’t want it to be.

_“What are we going to do if Sora ends up falling into that guy’s clutches?” Vanitas demanded as he cornered Ventus in the secret hide out. “What are you going to do, Ventus? The brat is already slipping further into the World of Sleep than we initially thought.”_

_Ventus frowned, eyes focused on the horizon. He can feel the light in the world shifting. Sora’s heart was beginning to tip over from the balance it was supposed to be kept in. Sora was sleeping for too long already. His Mark of Mastery Exam was never supposed to go like this. The Power of Waking—_

_“We’ll do what we’ll have to.”_

_Blue eyes looked directly into gold._

_“Even if it means that by doing so, we’ll fall faster.”_

_Vanitas grimaced, his jaw tightening. “You know that if we do this, it’ll be even harder for you to wake up. I won’t be able to come back to keep you out of trouble anymore.”_

_“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”_

_The playful tease earned a sharp jab in his ribs that had him yelping._

_Vanitas glared at him._

_“This isn’t a joke, Ventus. It takes two to make sure the brat doesn’t become that old man’s vessel and for that boyfriend of his to actually make it here safely.”_

_“If it’s us, we can do it.” Ventus gave him a reassuring smile, lacing their fingers together. “We can do anything together.”_

_“You’re such a sap.”_

_“Yeah, but I’m yours.”_

_Vanitas scoffed, but Ventus didn’t miss the slightest twitch of his lips._

Vanitas laced their fingers and Ventus basked in the feeling of his warmth once more. It was still getting harder to breathe. He can feel his body growing cold, his breath appearing in small clouds in front of him. The darkness was so cold. So, so cold.

He wondered how Vanitas, Roxas, and Xion were able to live in this kind of darkness.

No, Ventus retracted his thoughts. He wondered how _Vanitas_ was able to handle this. This was the kind of darkness he expected from Xehanort; cold and unfeeling. It made him want to curl away from it, feeling the distinctive urge to _run away_. But he can’t. Not when he knew there was something more important to do. Not when Sora was in danger.

So he clung to Vanitas’ hand, knowing that the moment he let go, it would be over for them.

“Are you sure about this?”

The question had Ventus take in a deep breath. The cold, brisk air hurt his lungs. It was a reminder of things to come.

He finally nodded. “Yeah. We can’t keep this held off forever.”

The fingers around his tightened.

Ventus knew he would mourn the loss of this when it was time. He can see the darkness treading closer to them. The closer it got to them, more ice began to frost over the ocean, freezing the waves in its place. Rain began to drizzle down on them; Ventus would enjoy it more if he didn’t know what it truly represented.

Sora’s heart was in trouble.

He was in pain.

For a moment, he wanted to be selfish. He wanted to cling onto Vanitas for a moment longer. He wanted this moment to last longer. But he knew that they couldn’t linger more. It wasn’t just Sora at risk; all of them were at risk. Roxas and Xion were still young despite their hardships to face an end like this.

Ventus squeezed his hand once more before slowly pulling away.

“Don’t mess this up, Ventus.”

“Don’t get lost, Vanitas.”

The two shared a meaningful look before Vanitas stepped away from him, towards to the freezing ocean. Darkness surrounded his form, hissing angrily like black flames. Ventus can’t help but watch in fascination. Watching Vanitas utilize his darkness was mesmerizing in some way when he wasn’t using it to hurt him or anyone else. He watched Vanitas use his darkness to split the frozen waves apart, creating a path for him to take.

“ _Go, Ventus._ ”

The roughness in Vanitas’ tone had Ventus’ heart clench.

“We’ll see each other again.”

Another look before a flash of light appeared around Ventus and his armor took over. He breathed in deeply, feeling the air clear up in his lungs as his armor protected him from the darkness. From behind his mask, he was able to see everything more clearly and can see the path he was supposed to take. He took another deep breath as he walked forward, stopping beside Vanitas.

“There’s nothing we can’t do together. Isn’t that what you said?” Vanitas glanced over at him, a single bead of sweat dripping from his temple. At the nod Ventus gave, he continued, “Then go. Once we see each other again, we’ll be different people. So, don’t do anything stupid until we’re back together again.”

Ventus can’t help but laugh.

“Got it.”

With that, he sped forward in a flash of light through the parted ocean where he can feel Sora in the distance. The further he drew away from Vanitas, the more he can feel their breaths grow disconnected; feel the unsteadiness growing in Vanitas’ breathing as he exerted himself before the darkness around him splintered apart and waves came crashing at him. Ventus continued to speed forward, growing closer and closer until he can feel Sora’s heart fading in the distance. With a grunt, he sent his armor forward, feeling the darkness hungrily wrap around him and tug him further down into an endless dark sea.

In the distance, he can feel Vanitas disappear, his body unable to keep itself together. Feeling his heart ache but knowing that Sora will be safe long enough for Riku to come, Ventus closed his eyes and let the darkness claim him.


End file.
